Is my backyard lawn worth saving?What kind of grass do I have?

9 years ago

This is my first post, and I do not have any experience in taking care of my lawn at all. We've had to sod our backyard three times because we never really cared about taking care of our grass .But this year I decided to try and create a lawn that I can be proud of and save my dad a few bucks so we dont have to sod the backyard again. The issue is, I'am not sure how to save it and what to do. At the beginning of April I dethatched, fertilized and added topsoil. But after not watering for a few weeks, the grass has been taken over by weeds. I have began watering the grass regularly, and I've been waking up around 7am to being watering. I'm not sure what to do, I don't even know what kind of grass we have. Does it need more TLC and watering or do I need to begin reseeding. I also have no idea how to deal with the weeds besides pulling them out by hand. Please any advice will be helpful because I just began taking care of the grass this year.

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Comments (6)

chriswong7
Original Author
9 years ago
I'm not sure what kind of grass this is. Any advice will be helpful. Thank you so much for your help!!
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
9 years ago
Most turf grasses in the PNW will be blends of various cool weather grass seeds, however sod farms seem to prefer monocultures and often go with a single type. Because many of these grasses look virtually indistinguishable from each other, best to go back to the source and ask where you purchased the sod.

Because our cool season grasses want to go dormant in summer, I tend to recommend fall as the best time to overseed or do much remedial lawn care. What you can do now is to aerate the soil, using a plug or core aerator. Aerating is one of the best things you can do for a lawn or the ideal first step in lawn care prep. After aerating, spread a thin layer of compost, just a half inch or so. Water as necessary but not too frequently and deeply when you do. In my Puget Sound climate, once every week to 10 days is usually sufficient through summer provided the water penetrates down 6-8 inches. Weed manually as required.

Then in fall you can overseed. Again, cover with a thin layer of compost (better than peat or topsoil) and keep moist until full germination, usually about 10-14 days. Mow when the new grass is at least 2.5 inches tall. And you can still fertilize before winter. If you overseed in September, you should be able to fertilize in mid to late October. Of any time of year, the fall fertilizing is the most beneficial in our region. And opt for an organic product if you can.
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chriswong7
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you for your quick response and depth. I definitely will purchase some seeds and aerate the lawn. But is there anything I can do now to maybe bring back the green in the grass, or will I have to wait until fall to begin seeing results? Again thank you for your help and it is much appreciated.

This post was edited by Chriswong7 on Wed, Jul 9, 14 at 19:48
dchall_san_antonio
9 years ago
Okay gardengal, I have a question for you. How do you know when someone from the PNW posts on this forum? I'm certainly glad you do, but how do you know?

When you said, "not too frequently and deeply," did you mean not too frequently and not too deeply? How much of that sentence does "not" pertain to?
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
9 years ago
LOL!! It's just a matter of locational geography :-) Vancouver, BC - OP's location - is just up the pike from me. And there are not many other zone 8 locations on this side of the continent. It's either the PNW or Texas.......or elsewhere in the SE.

And the "too" only pertains to the frequency in my statement. Not often but long and slow.

Chris, you can aerate any time you want - calendar has no bearing on its effectiveness. And other than the watering, not much else you can do now, although good, deep waterings may be all that is necessary to improve looks.
ed1315
9 years ago
Everything in texas should stay in texas! Today is 7/13 and I just seeded and Strawed 1000 sq ft

Is my backyard lawn worth saving?What kind of grass do I have?

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chriswong7
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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Is my backyard lawn worth saving?What kind of grass do I have?

Comments (6)

chriswong7Original Author

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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dchall_san_antonio

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chriswong7
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